Members of the SPLM Political Bureau met in Addis Ababa on Saturday in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister and IGAD Charman Hailemariam Dessalegn in order to initiate a ‘leadership review’ forum.
The South Sudanese ruling party SPLM is bitterly divided with two main factions waging civil war since December 2013. Salva Kiir, the chairman, has jailed the party secretary-general and charged him with treason.
Kiir’s faction of the party has dispatched four Political Bureau members to Addis Ababa to meet with the ‘G7’ faction, whose leaders include Deng Alor and John Luk. A third faction, the Machar group, has been the counterpart to the Kiir government in peace talks mediated by IGAD, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Government.
At the invitation of IGAD, Ethiopia’s ruling party EPRDF has taken on the role of facilitating intra-party reconciliation in Addis Ababa. Hailemariam, who also chairs the Ethiopian ruling party, today addressed the launch of the SPLM intra-party dialogue forum, calling the forum an event of major significance.
IGAD called the key SPLM participants at the meeting an ‘advance team’ of SPLM Political Bureau members, suggesting that a larger meeting of Political Bureau members could follow. Among those in attendance were SPLM Political Bureau members Deng Alor, Jemma Nunu Kumba, and Kosti Manibe.
“A meeting of an SPLM advance Politburo Members’ team convened on 5 April, 2014 in Addis Ababa, in the presence of H.E Hailemariam Dessalegn… to prepare the ground for an SPLM Leadership Review and Self-Assessment Forum,” the East African regional organization stated in a press release.
Relation to IGAD talks
IGAD says the ‘leadership review’ comes within the broader framework of the peace process that it is leading, and expects the review “to run concurrently and provide a critical contribution to the ongoing broader political dialogue towards national reconciliation and healing.”
Seyoum Mesfin, IGAD Special Envoy and chief mediator told the forum participants, “This meeting is part of the IGAD mediation process, strongly espoused by the leaders of IGAD, it is an initiative of the party to bring together a small team composed of its Political Bureau members to prepare the ground for SPLM Leadership Review and Self-Assessment.”
Ethiopian ruling party facilitation
Bereket Simon, a long-time associate of the late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi, has been designated as EPRDF facilitator of the SPLM intra-party dialogue. In his remarks at the opening of the forum on Saturday, he emphasized his own party’s strong commitment to the process.
Bereket described the South Sudanese ruling party as a troubled family, pointing out that all families have problems. He said that the sickness within this family had spread to affect the whole country.
The EPRDF facilitator stated, “Taking responsibility for failure… and acknowledgement of shortcoming are critical principles for political parties that take their responsibilities seriously. This applies to you as it applies to us.”
“Today’s gathering is supposed to initiate the process of developing an agenda and modalities for a bigger SPLM leadership introspection, review and self-assessment. The stock-taking exercise is not an easy task. The more open, clear and transparent we are in acknowledging the problems of SPLM finds itself in and confronted it, the more realistic and well thought out the outcomes of this process are likely to be,” he said.
“I would like to say that this engagement will be the precursor of further agreements that provide the basis for an end to South Sudan’s tragedy – a daunting and challenging time therefore lies ahead,” he concluded.
Hailemariam: ‘Internal democracy critical’
The Ethiopian primier, for his part, told delegates “your presence in Addis Ababa to resolve the SPLM intra-party dispute marks an important step in the resolution of the South Sudan crisis.”
The Ethiopian leader stated, “Internal party democracy is a critical issue that has to be addressed,” adding, “I believe you will see to your internal democratic process.”
“For this reason the destiny of South Sudan up to now is in the hands of SPLM and its leadership and its members. Hence the party dispute is at the heart of the current crisis and its resolution is cardinal to addressing national governance issues that will eventually transform the country and the people of South Sudan for prosperity,” he added.
“Distinguished delegates, I would like to urge you to move from the existing arrangement and conform to the realities by making internal self-assessment, critically,” he said.
He stressed that the intra-party dialogue will “immensely contribute to the ongoing IGAD peace process for South Sudan.”
“I am convinced that once the SPLM party dispute is resolved, the national problems by and large will be resolved,” he stated. “We will remain firm to see to it that this intra-party dialogue results in fruitful outcomes.”
In conclusion, Hailemariam underlined EPRDF’s commitment to the initiative, saying, “We have put the best of us by deploying our senior cadres at your disposal to support the dialogue process.”
Lastly, he personally declared the forum open: “Therefore, now I declare this dialogue officially open.”
Juba faction
The SPLM faction based in Juba on Saturday confirmed its participation in the forum, marking an apparent shift in position from last month, when it showed reluctance to dispatch negotiators to the intra-party talks, suggesting instead that party business should be handled only within South Sudanese territory.
Jemma Nunu Kumba, a member of the SPLM Political Bureau and head of the delegation dispatched by Kiir to join the talks, addressed the forum on Saturday, calling it an ‘historic and important event that marks the launching of the SPLM intra-party dialogue.’
She added, “The SPLM leadership welcomes the IGAD envoys’ initiative which aims to resolve the internal differences among the party members of the SPLM. We also appreciate our long-standing relationship with the EPRDF and ANC and their readiness to facilitate the process of the internal dialogue.”
“The SPLM will use this opportunity to unify its ranks and files and work together towards a common goal. This forum provides an important and right platform for comrades the former SPLM detainees (the ‘G7’) to effectively participate in the process of national reconciliation and healing,” she added.
Related coverage:
Ethiopian premier seeking to break deadlock in South Sudan peace talks (4 Apr.)
Salva Kiir sends delegation to meet SPLM-7 (2 April)
Politics: SPLM talks in Addis fail to start (18 March)
SPLM internal reconciliation initiative aims to move stalled South Sudan peace talks (5 March)
Analysis: Political dimensions of the South Sudan crisis (5 March)